HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



49 



the hourly expectation of the ar- 

 rival of the re-inforcemeiits under 

 Sir John Moore, which would ren- 

 der the attainment of the object 

 in view certain, Sir H. Burrard 

 chose to stop, rather than to make 

 a movement which, under the ex- 

 isting circumstances, was undoubt- 

 edly hazardous. Sir H. Burrard 

 had the command of the army. 

 He was present for a great part 

 of" the time in the hottest of the 

 engagement, and had a duty to 

 perform of which he could not di- 

 vest himself. The responsibility 

 rested with him, and he controlled 

 (judiciously in Lord M.'s opinion) 

 the opinion of Sir A. Wellesiey re- 

 specting the advance to Torres Ve- 

 dras. Sir H. Burrard must there- 

 fore be considered as acting the 

 whole of the da)'^, and ought not 

 to be left out of the motion for 

 thanks. 



The Earl of Grosvenor wished 

 this question had not been brought 

 forward till the papers respect- 

 ing the expedition had been laid 

 on the table. — Lord Harrowby 

 contended that Sir H. Burrard 

 had with great magnanimity al- 

 lowed, in his own dispatches, the 

 actual command, during the bat- 

 tle, to remain with Sir Arthur 

 Wellesiey. To include Sir H. 

 Burrard in the vote of thanks, 

 would be giving an opinion on 

 subsequent circumstances, respect- 

 ing which no information was be- 

 fore the House. — Viscount Sid- 

 mouth did not feel that a vote of 

 thanks to Sir A. W. would attach 

 the least discredit to the character 

 of Sir H. Burrard. He recom- 

 mended to the noble baron to 

 withdraw his amendment. — So al- 

 so did Lord Auckland. — Lord 

 Mulgrave said, that it was the 



Vol. LL 



glory of Sir H. Burrard to have duly 

 admired and done justice to the ser- 

 vices of Sir A. Wellesiey. In the con- 

 duct of Sir A. Wellesiey his lordship 

 saw every thing that was dignified 

 and transcendent. The victory 

 of Vimiera, Lord M. maintained, 

 would not be found wanting in the 

 scale, when compared with any, 

 the most brilliant achievement 

 in the whole range of military his- 

 tory, ancient or modern. — Lord 

 Erskine, having premised that he 

 was altogether unacquainted with 

 Sir H. Burrard or his family, main- 

 tained that Sir H. B. having been 

 in the chief command on the 21st 

 of August, was entitled to the ad- 

 miration of his country, and the 

 thanks of their lordships, for hav-^ 

 ing embraced those plans which 

 he found his predecessor in pur- 

 suit of. What objection could 

 there be to passing a vote of thanks 

 to Sir H. Burrard ? Would any noble 

 lord state, that the gallant general 

 himself had signified an indiffer- 

 ence to their approbation ? Money, 

 he believed, was an object of de- 

 sire with most men. He was free 

 to confess that it was so to him- 

 self. He was sure that soldiers 

 and sailors loved to acquire it. 

 He had himself spent the earlier 

 part of his days in the service. But 

 he knew a soldier's heart. He 

 knew that soldiers and sailors have 

 also a most ardent desire of praise. 

 Impressed with these sentiments, 

 he felt himself bound to support 

 the proposed amendment. 



The question being put on the 

 amendment of Lord Moira, it was 

 negatived without a division, and 

 only one or two dissentient voices. 

 The original motion was then put, 

 and unanimously agreed to. — The 

 same subject was, January the 



E 25th, 



